Julie Tudor Is Not a Psychopath

Holdich debuts with an amusing black comedy narrated by delusional 49-year-old financial analyst Julie Tudor. A self-declared “master of spreadsheets,” Julie works for a multimillion-dollar investment company in South Wales, lives in a large house in a wealthy neighborhood, and harbors an all-consuming infatuation with her coworker, 20-something Sean, who sits a few desks away. The age gap means nothing to Julie, but within the book’s first few paragraphs, readers will know that she is not to be trusted. As Julie pursues Sean despite his obvious crush on another woman, flashbacks to her youth demonstrate that, from an early age, she’s had a habit of eliminating people who’ve stood between her and true love—be they wives, girlfriends, or nosy houseguests. With a sharp first-person voice and delicious uncertainty about which boundaries Julie will trample on next, Holdich crafts a pleasantly twisted plunge into the mind of a memorable antiheroine. It’s a satisfying ode to bad behavior. (July)